who had fled their hometown of Mannar under similar circumstances. Although, set against the backdrop of war and ethnic conflict the film focused on the social fabrics of the nation. There were no warfare scenes in the film. The events in Ira Madiyama (August Sun) take place on the day Sri Lanka became world champions when they beat Australia in the 1996 Cricket World Cup final in Lahore, Pakistan. It is also the period immediately following the breakdown of the first attempt at peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). So it was a time of great tension and uncertainty mixed with elation at the cricketing success. Theatrical Release Sri Lanka Ira Madiyama (August Sun) saw its domestic release across Sri Lanka on 10 February 2005. It opened across 16 centres islandwide. It ran for 55 days to good critical and commercial response. Singapore Ira Madiyama (August Sun) and Akasa Kusum (Flowers of the Sky) are set for limited release from 18 June 2010, at Sinema Old School a 136-seater high definition cinema screening local and award-winning films in Singapore. International Film Festivals Awards Grand Prix - Special Mention, Fribourg International Film Festival, Switzerland FIPRESCI - NETPAC Award, Singapore International Film Festival, Singapore Best Film - Silver Award Lady Harimaguada De Plata, Las Palmas International Film Festival, Canary Islands Best Actress - Nimmi Harasgama, Las Palmas International Film Festival, Canary Islands Grand Jury Prize, Makati Cinemanila International Film Festival, Philippines Official Selections Montreal World Film Festival, Canada (World Premiere) Quebec International Film Festival, Canada International Film Festival of India, India Chennai International Film Festival, India Kolkata Film Festival, India Pusan International Film Festival, Korea London Film Festival, United Kingdom Bite the Mango, Bradford, United Kingdom Amiens International Film Festival, France Deauville Asian Film Festival, France Fukuoka International Film Festival, Japan Cinequest International Film Festival, United States Istanbul International Film Festival, Turkey Durbun International Film Festival, South Africa Hong Kong Asian Film Festival, Hong Kong SAR Taiwan Film Festival, Chinese Taipei Film Fest Hamburg, Germany Dhaka International Film Festival, Bangladesh Films from the South Festival, Oslo, Norway References External links Official Site - Prasanna Vithanage Official Site - Sinema.sg 2000s Sinhala-language films Films about the Sri Lankan Civil War 2003 films Films set in Sri Lanka (1948–present) Films directed by Prasanna Vithanage Films with screenplays by Prasanna Vithanage